Walking Cow to Pastue

Anastasia walking her cow out to pasture this first afternoon in Bystiv it was such an amazing place never seen anywhere like it

Anastasia Milking Her Cow

It starts off with a good home cooked lunch Anastasia killed a chicken in morning before we even awaken & made home made hand cut noodles it was the tastiest Chicken noodle soup I had ever had to this day! Then the afternoon Milking begins

Ukraine Trip 1999 Meeting Anastasia & Family in Bystiv Ukraine first time

Ukraine First Trip 1999
Here it is my first Ukraine Old world Experience. It is a Journey of discovery. The story is one that change my life in so many ways.
I own a home in Ukraine & now live there you cant get much bigger change then leaving your birth country to your ancestral home
It all started off meeting Russian woman in Washington DC that was Traveling we hung out a few hours together.
. That inspired me to place a Classified ad in 1998 in Russian & Ukraine papers thru service in Canada. In 2 weeks I started receiving Hundreds of letters form all over the former USSR. At this time INTL dating was not in Vogue.
Thru the 250+ letters I received I found one girl that was translator in Kiev. We will call her Sveta #1. |(Not to be confused with Sveta #2 or Alla OR Olya.........that another story in itself) Inspired by our communication my Dad found an address given to him 20 years ago by relative in Canada. Since then this relative passed away many years ago. |It was to relatives in Village his father came from in 1900.
So my Ukraine Girlfriend Sveta#1 in fall of 1998 did some research & got post code then sent a letter to the address not knowing if it would be answered .
About 2 weeks later Sveta heard back from Anastasia she Translated & forward letter to me.
Made plans in coming months to Visit Ukraine I flew into Kiev met Sveta then a week later headed to LVIV. Then took Electricka to Mostiska II station from there we hired a Taxi that came out form Mostiska.
Without language skills and sufficient experience in Ukraine it seems almost unthinkable for foreigners to go traveling by themselves—something that would be perfectly normal across most of Europe. The Soviet infrastructure is just too baffling, the culture too unlike the West. Foreign tourists need some sort of buffer to have a good (and safe) experience in Ukraine. Unless you have Ukrainian friends who take you around everywhere, you will need tour leaders and organizers who speak your language and take care of your day-to-day needs.
If you have Relatives form Ukraine or want to take a trip there let me know I can help you with arrangement
www.bystiv.com belozer@bctonline.com

Ukraine Trip LVIV Odessa Yalta

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My First Ukraine trip with Sveta#1 & Yes I had more then 1 Sveta over years that why there are numbered!
We Travel from LVIV to Odessa to Simperopil to Yalta
.It Starts off with Train ride from Shegynin to LVIV. We Just left Mostiska II station after visiting my Relatives in Bystiv for first time. Just let it play will get to LVIV & show some life there Architecture then onto Odessa then Yalta

Train Ride from Shegynin to LVIV

janbruch
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The train ride from Derszhkordon near Bystiv and the Polish-Ukrainian border, east to Lviv in the early morning was truly interesting account of Belozer's Ukraine. Suddenly out of nowhere musicians appear to entertain the passengers and they seemed to have been expecting them. The videographer seems to have a passion to minute detail. There seems to be no barriers he wouldn't cross including the men's room. Thanks for a really good clip"

Horse & Plow

This was filmed in Ocotber 2006. Just out my front door. My neighobr Bogdon is having his Garden plowed. The Plow & Horse Hire at for about 20-30 UAH for a Garden pictured about $4-6
This scene is from Novmeber 2005 it just behind my house a real good example of how Ukraine will surive & thrive in a Post Oil World. It is a close up of the equipment & Horse at work

Church Tour With Father Ihor

Ukraine Christmas Tradition

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Ukraine Folk Singing

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Kelminitsky Meat Market

I am shopping for Pork Chops

LVIV Downtown

LVIV has become a Cosmopolitan European City you can buy most any consumer type goods there. I shop in LVIV when I need to it is 2.5 hours by train from shegynin or 85 KM. I like LVIV for shopping only & High Speed Internet. I shop METRO a German owned version of Costco / Sams Club that just opened recently. I buy Hamburger, Chicken & Cheese. You cant get ground beef in Mostiska or Chicken Cheese is expensive in Mostiska. Other then that there nothing there for me. I prefer slow quiet village pace of life.
With Groceries in Backpack it is another 2.5 hours evening train ride to Shegynin departing LVIV at 5:30 pm. Then a 1 hour walk to my house in Bystiv with back pack loaded of meat & cheese. So that is a 6 hour day of travel to run for Groceries.
Once you get settled into this pace of life it is easy at first it can be Culture shock

Horse & Wagon

Hana Shucking Beans

My neighbor Hana Shucking Beans all that work once they remove beans from pod. she will end up with a gallon bucket of dried beans
Hanna & Ivan Picking Cherries then a walk thru Bystiv with More garden views

Cutting Hay with Scythe

Online Album Belozer Dacha

You will see an Ancient Village Home taken from 18th century technology & comfort to 21st century comfort Belozer Dacha Retreat Located in Village of Bystiv (Ukraine) On Polish Border 650 KM West of Kyiv. New Bed & Breakfast Inn with all American Amenities. In a Historic Old world Setting. Hot & cold Running water Luxury Bath & Indoor Western Toilet comfortable suites Hydronic Radiant Heated floors. In Winter at –30 outside you will be stepping onto Bedroom & Bathroom Tile Floors that are warmed to a comfortable 82 Degrees you feel warmth & comfort from head to toe. Air Conditioning in Summer Months. A very comfortable climate controlled Environment

This Old World Home Video Diary

Moving Day January 12th 2005 I move from Bogdonna my Cousin to New Home
The first Real work on house installing a New American Door in a Ancient Bystiv Home. Vasily & Simon do the work. Simon a true old world Meister. Showed up with only an Axe plumb Bob Folding Ruler & Handd Saw & Crow bar he made Himself out of Rebar
It is summer 2005 work begins on Demolition of floors & stripping walls to Bare Timbers. We layout heated floors. Mykolai & crew hand mix Cement & Vasily starts sheet rock
Sheet Rock is complete cement floor are poured Bathromm is fully fucntional -Tile that will be completed in Winter it took Vasily 1 month to custom hand fit each firing strip against rough timber framing
Sheet rock Texture & Paint finished I complete with a Texture Gun I imported from USA. Stephen the Meister I hired Starts laying Bathroom Tile. A second Meister Roman starts on guest Bedroom floor Tile
I have 6 workers on 4 Differnt Jobs they dont speak english all is goeing well Stephen is still working on Bathroom tile it looks great. Simon Started on Brick work in Kitchen that will become support for Kitchen Counter. Roman is laying tile in Kitchen where future Gas Boiler will set. Vasily is taping & spackling sheet rock in Master Bedroom that last room to paint i moved into small bedroom Simon finishign up brick base for Kithen counter it is all my design. I have the corner sink given to me by late brother Joe. The last thing he gave me beofore his passing I design counters around sink. So I will always have Joe sink in my home
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Assembly of Furntiure Mykolia & Vasily build concrete forms to pour cement countertops then proceed to pour countertops. Vasily does decorative rock work in kitchen
Roman the tile meister from Mostiska returns to lay Kitchne tile
Renovation of Belozer Dacha Retreat Complete Total work Days 4 months. 3 says winter 2005 upon move in 2 months summer 2005 then 2 months winter 2005 Completed in December & full furnished. Turned out beeter then I ever dreamed it would. I have no Mortage payment is it all payed for. I accomplished in 4 months what takes in Eastern Europe 20 years to build home

Bystiv Ukraine Village Cemetery

Wonderful Horse & wagon footage saw on walk to Cemetery

Old World Refrigerator

It is July 1999 my first morning in Bystiv. first time I am one on one with Anastasia. she is 77 very spry & good shape. she passed away this summer at 84 having been very ill for 6 month with Asthma. Meeting Anastasia was a life changing event for me. The final experience she gave me was a Ukraine Old World Vilage Funeral. It was an expereince I will not share in photos or video it is too private. Perhaps it best summed up it what god intended. Not what we have in west. Perhaps one day I will write my feeling of this event.

Turkey BBQ Butcher & Slaughter

My friend Vasily takes me Turkey shopping for a fresh Tureky in Bystiv. I pick out the Bird from a nerby neighbor. My Ukraine friend does all the work of preparing meat for cooking

Rabbit Butchering & BBQ

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You got to kill it to grill it Rabbit Oh so Tasty!!!
Pablo show how to raise rabbits for food I pick out the bunny then walk back to my place where he proceeds to turn the the rabbit from livng breathing animal into food.

Natalya Making Ukraine Billashe

I filmed the step by step process of making Billashe with Cousin Natalya

Paska Bread

Baba's wood fired Brick Oven the bread is baked just before Ukraine chirstmas it is allso an easter bread such a wonderful smell for fresh hot Ukraine breads

Online Album Ihor & Lesia

Online Album Friends & Relatives

Online Album Party Photos

Ukraine Train Rides & Folk Singing

Riding Train & Electricka (Electric Commuter Train) I part of every day Ukraine village life. I assembled a collection of all the Train Clips I have from Ukraine. Most are from winter some in summer all have interesting parts dont judge by thumb nail
This is a Train ride from LVIV to Shegynin it is a commuter train or in Ukraine Electricka they are called. It takes 2.5 hours then 1 hour walk to Village from last train stop for me. This series is the best folk sining I have ever filmed in Ukraine
IN the Moring it was -30 Below zero, it still in the minus -20 in the evening. These guys had alot of Vodka they have wonderful voices. They sing a very old song It's an old "UPA" song, from the underground ukrainian movement fighting for independence around 1930-1950. The words are very sad...

Rabbit BBQ Online Photo Album

Online Photo Album Pig Slaughter

Ukraine Village life 600 lb Hog Slaughter

December is Pig (hog) Slaughter month in Eastern Europe. This scece is repeated 10,000's+ times thru out eastern Europe, As it has been for Centuries. The weather is cool in December no need to refrigerate meat then.
Hey I will tell you the meat was great! All the screaming & sqeuling never changed flavor. The reason they just dont cut head off they bleed animal out. They practice very high sanitataion by burn the hair & scraping & washing dead anaimal before every cutting into animal.
You may had heard the joke in Movies Ukraine Mafia is more brutal then Russian Mafia. Perhaps it could be true if they where from Villages
I cooked shashlik (Ukraine BBQ Kabobobs) that night at my place & we had Vodka. It was snowing. During the killing it droppd to -12 below zero. Hands where getting cold holding camera